My first brush with golf course architecture came as an 8 year old kid when Pete Dye was building The Ocean Course. Pete took me out for a tour and when we came to the 8 foot deep bunker behind the 11th green I stood in the bottom, looked up, looked at Pete, and then said, as any smart aleck kid would, ‘why don’t you make it deeper? The bucket swung around scooped out another foot.
Over the years, I got to spend priceless moments with Pete, a fountain of knowledge, great stories, and a perpetual example on how to treat people.
No one in the history of golf course architecture has influenced, mentored, and produced more architects.
His history with Landmark Land Company was one of mutual benefit and produced, in my opinion, his finest work. What an incredible career he had, and a life well lived.